IHEA Responds to NC School Clash Over Shooting Competition

Click Here to read the news story about North Carolina's Wake County School District and their decision to prevent their Future Farmers of America marksmanship team from competing in a state sponsored tournament that has operated successfully for 30 years.

April 23, 2008

Superintendent Daniel Barnes
Wake County School District
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27609 

Dear Superintendent Barnes,

We’ve learned that representatives of the Wake County School District recently took administrative action to prevent a high school affiliated Future Farmers of America marksmanship team from participating in a government sponsored shooting competition organized by the State of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.   The reasoning, as characterized by school officials, was that “ammo and students don’t mix”.  

As sportsmen based conservation groups and active advocates of passing along the rich heritage of hunting and shooting sports to our country’s youth, the undersigned organizations are deeply concerned about this decision and in fact, regard it as a counterproductive measure in preventing gun violence.

Each year, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission organizes this event, which is comprised of skeet shooting, rifle marksmanship, archery, and navigation competitions, to promote firearm safety and teach young people interested in shooting sports about the consequences of unsafe gun handling. We view this as valuable experience that instills guidelines for responsible behavior in team members that they will carry into adulthood. Without officially sanctioned events such as this, many young people would not have the opportunity to learn how to safely pursue their interest in hunting and shooting thus possibly causing unsafe conditions in the field for themselves and fellow sportsman.  Lessons in personal responsibility, patience, care for equipment owned by others and many other benefits of participating in these types of activities extend beyond the practice range.  We also believe that the actual risk of bodily harm posed by participation in a state-endorsed, fully adult supervised event such as this is extremely remote and should not have influenced the school district’s decision.  According to a study released by the National Safety Council, accidental deaths involving firearms are at an all time low with the fastest rate of decline taking place over the last decade. This was largely attributed to education programs sponsored by state wildlife agencies (such as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission), the firearms industry, and organizations like the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Rifle Association.

We are extremely disappointed in the decision of the Wake County School District and hope that this inappropriate action will serve as an example of the type of policy that will be avoided in the future.

Sincerely,

CC:

NC State School Board Chairman Howard N. Lee

NC State School Superintendent June St. Clair Atkinson

The Honorable Beverly Eaves Perdue

Wake County School Board

Fred Harris, Executive Director North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission